World Religions, the Earth Charter,

This article argues the global environmental crisis shows the need for a broad, inclusive definition of sustainability. It shows how religious traditions can help contribute to broader definitions, and describes how work from the field of Religion and Ecology has developed resources. It argues that the next step for the study of Religion and Ecology is to address sustainability, and then proposes that the Earth Charter provides an orienting framework for that engagement of religion and sustainability. key words: Religion and Ecology, Earth Charter, sustainability The complex nature of our global environment crisis is increasingly evident as weather patterns are becoming more severe, as species are becoming endangered and going extinct, as non-renewable resources such as oil are being wantonly used up, as forests and fisheries are being depleted, and as water is becoming polluted or scarce. The large-scale problem of climate change is now more visible to a larger public, while the massive extent of species extinction still remains invisible to most people. Yet these two global challenges suggest that our burgeoning population and industrializing presence is altering not only the face of the planet and its climate, but also the process of